Toshakhana gift embarrassment.

This shameful episode has exposed the insatiable greed of our elected and paid elite to retain gifts received by them in their varying capacities of holding public offices of importance. None of them would have received these gifts, while in service or post-retirement, if they did not hold these public offices, representing the people of Pakistan, from foreign countries they visit officially.

Yet, starting from Ayub Khan onwards, who chose to retain Ghandhara Motors, gifted by the US government, this greed seems to inflict almost everyone, with very few exceptions. It is time that laws are legislated that nobody should be allowed, irrespective of the public office he/she holds, paid or elected, to exercise the option of retaining them, after payment of a nominal fraction of a reassessed value, which is far below market value. There is absolutely no justification that these new expensive gifts are assessed at a depreciated value.

At the most, a VVIP in office...